Easy Living

There are several national parks and other nature sites in Kainuu for you to enjoy. Below you'll some links for your inspiration, and by browsing the three web services provided in the links above, you´ll find plenty of more opportunities. We hope you have many rewarding nature experience here in Kainuu and in Finland, at the same time acting responsibly with a mutual respect for nature, people, and property.

  Forget the endless commuting and dull office interiors, teleworking and multilocationality are here! Adapting to the new world situation has made place-independent work the new norm. Work from the peace of your home or summer cottage if it suits you best, or take advantage of the remote work points available in Kainuu. Fall in love with the multiple teleworking opportunities in Kainuu!  

In Kainuu, you may experience the peace and freedom of wilderness and downshift all year round. On the other hand, you are surrounded by modern society and technology and free to pioneer with your business here. Kainuu is about easy everyday living, freedom of choice and beautiful views from a hill to another. Come and find Kainuu within yourself!

Escape in the Kainuu nature or explore the local culture.  Kainuu is a dream destination for athletes, nature lovers and culture enthusiasts, all year round. Whether you seek for peace and quiet, fun family time of something more active, Kainuu could just be the place for you!

Active holiday makers will find a Kainuu experience for their taste, regardless of the season. How would you like for instance some night-time bear watching, hitting the slopes or challenging yourself with some cable wake-boarding? If you want to head to the nature, there’s plenty of it and it’s practically on your doorstep. Hiking, mountain-biking, paddling, skiing, snowshoeing, paddle-boarding, snowmobiling, traveling onboard a dog sled – just pick your style!

The people of Kainuu spend a lot of time in the nature but also enjoy the culture - join us at the local culture events, enjoy the local delicacies with us and adventure in the wild nature! Experience the silence of wilderness, views from the rolling hills, magic of the northern lights and the glitter of clean lakes. Follow the old tar transport route, visit the war history museums or the ruins of the northernmost medieval stone castle in the world. Taste the traditional bread cheese, tar bread, Rönttönen pies and, of course, some berry delicacies. In Kainuu you will also find high-quality events, such as Kuhmo chamber music festival, Kajaani Poetry Week and many sports events. Come and see it all for yourself!

You'll find the Kainuu calendar of events at address www.tapahtumienkainuu.fi. This event feed can also be found on the websites of SLP Media magazines and Kainuu municipalities. The event calendar is easy to use for both someone looking for events and the event organizers announcing their events. Different target groups have been taken into account as planning the calendar, and events suitable for seniors or families with children, for example, can be easily found. Events may be added in the event calendar by clicking the "create event" button and they appear on the website and in print products of SLP Media (Koti-Kajaani, Kainuun Sanomat, Sotkamo-lehti, Kuhmolainen and Ylä-Kainuu) after approval from some of the moderators.

There is a professional theater in Kajaani, but also many interesting amateur theaters in Kainuu, that operate especially in the summer time.

Can you hear the call of Kuhmo chamber music festival or Sommelo? Or do you long for some pop or rock sounds?  Several kinds of music festivals take annually place in Kainuu.

Get acquainted with the arts, history and the way of life of the resilient Kainuu inhabitants during different eras. The museums of Kainuu offer a diverse set of history and the present, displayed with a unique touch.

Literary tourism is a concept that celebrates reading culture, and the literary culture of Kainuu region is strong. The Kalevala, national epic of Karelia and Finland, was compiled from Karelian and Finnish oral folklore and mythology by Mr. Elias Lönnrot. During the time he was making his field trips and compiling the Kalevala on the 19th century, he was the district health officer based in Kajaani, responsible for the whole Kainuu region. In Kainuu, you may tread the paths once taken by Lönnrot, visit some old buildings he spent time at and learn about his life and career, and witness firsthand where the Karelian artists of the Kalevala found their inspiration. In 2019, Kuhmo in Eastern Kainuu became part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. The main theme in Kuhmo’s application was the strong connection between Kuhmo and the Kalevala, and the many ways the Kalevala influences the everyday life in Kuhmo. Juminkeko foundation in Kuhmo is one of the biggest national centers dedicated to the Kalevala, aiming at preserving, treasuring and spreading the cultural heritage related to the Finnish national epic. Also the UNESCO office of Kuhmo is located in Juminkeko. There are several other famous writers that have written in or about Kainuu, as well, and there are several sites around Kainuu region that have an authentic link either to the writers or their production. Most of the books are only available in Finnish, but you'll find some translated into different languages. Of course, regardless of the language of literature, you'll still be able to feel the unique atmosphere at the locations and learn a lot about the Kainuu history.

Isa Asp was the first child of Jaakko Asp, an iron works clerk, and his wife Brita Liisa (Puhakka). She was born in the village of Niska in Utajärvi, where her father Jaakko worked as a clerk for the ironworks. Both the ironworks of Kurimo and Ämmä, where Isa Asp's father had worked at, went one by one bankrupt. At  that point, Isa Asp's father bought the Parola farm in Puolanka. Also Isa Asp lived there until leaving to study in the Jyväskylä Teacher Seminary.  In 1872, Isa Asp sadly died in Jyväskylä of tuberculosis. Although she died at the tragically early age of 19, she left behind approximately 100 lyrical poems, from which the most known is "Lullaby to a Wave". Isa Asp has the distinction of being the first woman poet ever to write in Finnish. and she definitely left a substantial literary legacy. You can't find the house Isa Asp lived in anymore in Puolanka. Her memory and her literary legacy are still  cherished in the region.